A rendering of what newer Taco Bells look like that are now being built.

Photo contributed/

Manteca is getting another fast food restaurant in the form of the city’s third Taco Bell.

The Manteca Community Development staff has received an application to build a Taco Bell on Daniels Street near South Airport Way just east of the McDonald’s.

There is a three-way tie for first in the Manteca fast food race. McDonald’s has five locations including inside Wal-Mart. McDonald’s, by the way, is building a replacement location for its East Yosemite store at Commerce Avenue and East Yosemite Avenue. Meanwhile ground is expected to break this spring on the new Panera Bread location that will be built adjacent to the existing McDonald’s. The fate of the current McDonald’s? Typically an independent opens up a restaurant such as happened when My Garden Café took over the old McDonald’s on Main Street in Ripon.

Tied with Mickey D’s at five is Subway and Starbucks. The count includes the Starbucks inside Safeway.

Taco Bell’s third restaurant will tie it with Carl’s Junior as well as Jack in the Box.

Also with three Manteca locations but definitely not within the fast food category is Taqueria LaEstrella.

On the list of twin locations are Round Table Pizza, Jamba Juice, Baskin-Robbins, and Panda Express.

Taco Bell’s third store will mean 35 or roughly a fourth of the 155 fast food and quick beverage options in Manteca listed as having taxable sales permits are duplicate locations.

A quick note on restaurants: The new location for Perko’s Café on the northeast corner of Lathrop Road and Union Road in the Woodbridge Shopping Center is still on the table. The developer is looking for additional tenants before investing in the next phase of the development that already includes CVS, Prime Shine Car Wash and — yes — a McDonald’s.